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Today in Albemarle, NC [1]

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Date: 2025-04-19

Albemarle, NC — County seat of Stanly County, population 16,432. Beautiful day, a 1 ½ hour drive from where I’m staying. About 65 people came to stand with signs, chant, wave, and participate by showing up. I was told that this location was just added to the schedule on Wednesday, and the organizers were pleasantly surprised by the number that showed up. Like two weeks ago, lots of cars were driving by, honking and giving the thumbs up. There were a few thumbs down and middle fingers up, but not many. A little surprising in this deep, deep red corner of NC. The drive over was through beautiful rural countryside. The city itself has beautiful historic downtown buildings and a healthy, well-maintained feel.

There was more anxiety among the participants in the beginning, as they were worried about how we would be treated. There were signs about Musk and impeach Trump, that America is not for sale, and newer ones about due process.

A boy with an older man covered in tattoos came over to ask us what was going on. The boy turned out to be 13 and was very proud of the fact that he had read 200 books about the Civil War and explained to us it was not about slavery but states’ rights. One woman said, “It was about states’ rights to have slaves.” He asked at one point, “Do you even read history? “ and the man beside me identified himself as a college history professor. The boy then wanted to explain to me why killing babies was so bad unless in a case of rape or life of the mother. I was gentle with him, a 13-year-old home-schooled kid who reads, studies, lifts weights, and is anxious about his acne. Of course, I didn’t change his mind, didn’t try, but maybe I opened a small window to the concept that there are many ways to look at the world. I enjoy talking to kids, so this was a treat for me. The litany of evils, “vaccines, civil rights, transgender rights, the minute you are pregnant, you have a baby...” he did say, “you must be an atheist,” and was shocked to hear I sing in my church choir. I didn’t explain that Unitarians welcome all faiths and non-faiths, even atheists. I thanked him for coming and talking with us. He shook my hand and said he honored my right to my opinion.

It felt so good to be doing something with a group of strangers who were also inspired to do something. The call “tell me what democracy looks like,” and the response “this is what democracy looks like,” created the soundtrack. Inspiring.

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